A radiologist is a physician who specializes in the interpretation of radiographic images such as X-rays, CAT-scans and MRI images. When dictating notes related to his observations, the radiologist often sits or stands before a back-lighted viewing box describing what is seen in a particular group of radiographic images. The vocabulary used in the dictation is limited to such an extent that automatic computer translation of voice to text has been successfully applied in this activity. Radiologists who use such computer assisted systems have become accustomed to using specific hand-held microphones, which resemble the hand-held microphones used by entertainers. These microphones are slender and light weight and incorporate a thumb operated switch for turning the microphone on and off.
A number of manufactures have attempted to combine built-in microphones with computer pointing devices and in one device, a bar code scanner for reading the bar codes on the radiographic images in a single swipe of the hand holding the microphone. In general, these devices have met with only limited success, many radiologists preferring their familiar hand-held microphones.
A need exists to provide some way for the radiologist to use a familiar hand-held microphone while being able to control cursor positioning and object selection and activation using the microphone-holding hand.